


A Boy and his Quori

by Oddaudrey



Series: Dream Chasers Campaign Stories [2]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Gen, Lore - Freeform, The Plot Thickens, kalashtars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24526375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oddaudrey/pseuds/Oddaudrey
Summary: Khova and Valtari talk a bit as Khova tries to write a story.
Relationships: Khova & Valtari
Series: Dream Chasers Campaign Stories [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761472
Kudos: 1





	A Boy and his Quori

Khova spent the majority of his day sitting at his desk, completing task after task with very little time for anything else. From before Khova could remember, his father was always very strict with him. 

He never ventured out far from the castle walls, he never got to form friendships with people his age, never got to experience much of anything. 

One of his earliest memories was of him as a child, watching the other children play outside from his bedroom window that overlooked the town. He asked his father once why he couldn’t join him, and his father never gave him a straight answer. 

It was always studying, training, and the occasional diplomatic affair he listened to. Just three major components of his day, nothing more and nothing less. 

Khova struggled to find hobbies outside of just reading. He truly treasured whatever storybooks he could get his hands on, and when the stories ran out, he figured he just had to write more for himself. 

When he found the time, he would take out a pen and a spare journal to try and create something worse reading. Whenever he had children, which surely he would given his monarchic position within his society, he hoped to read stories to him. It was something he wished his father would do for him. 

He tried to think of a place to start. Every culture had a story to tell, the star-crossed lovers of the human kingdom, the tale of rebirth from the Tiefling lands, the great journey of the elven realm. 

Kalashtars were more adept in writing histories, their bonded Quori’s often served as an extensive primary source. Depending on the Quori, their memories outlooked many historical events, even including those who had witnessed the civil conflict within the dream realm. 

Khova’s own Quori was…well, _interesting._

From where he sat at his desk, he saw two clawed hands reach past his shoulders and then hang in front of him. 

“Do you need something?” Khova asked. 

“I should be asking you that, you were the one thinking about me after all.” Valtari spoke in his usual pompous tone, “I can sense that, you know.”

“Do all Quori talk this much?” Khova asked. “I thought we were supposed to function as one being.”

“I suppose I’ll dull with age.” Valtari said. “We share a body, but honestly I much prefer the freedom to move around.”

When Khova didn’t respond, Valtari spoke up again. “Oh come now, I would never stray far from you, it’s not like I can go anywhere.”

“I just don’t get why you’re _here._ Why did you bond with me if you want your freedom so badly?” Khova questioned. “The reality realm isn’t all that great anyway.” 

Valtari hand ventured over to the map pinned up above Khova’s desk. The reality plane rested in the middle, the continents and all kingdoms depicted within the oval shape. Below it was the demon realm, above on the right the dream realm and the left the god realm. 

“You see how your realm is in the center?” Valtari spoke near Khova’s face. “That is no design choice. The reality realm connects to all the other realms, a sort of bridge. There are many possibilities within your realm.”

“Even if that’s true, I still can’t even leave the castle.” Khova stated, “You and father have some big plan for me and I just have to grin and bear it.”

“You’re hardly grinning. Good things come to those who wait.” Valtari continued his cryptic prattle. 

Much like his father, Valtari never spoke in a way where the truth could be deciphered. He droned on, giving indecipherable advice and speaking as if he knew everything but would tell no one. 

Valtari backed away and lied across Khova’s bed. Khova had noticed Valtari’s preference to be free and even sprawl himself outstretched, and he decided now would be best to ask the question that had always been on his mind. 

“What happened to you?”

Valtari sat up a bit and looked at him with confusion. It seemed Khova’s question caught him off guard for once. Valtari was quick to recollect himself and questioned Khova right back.

“What do you mean?”

“I see your memories when I sleep. A lot of them are nothing but darkness.” Khova explained, “You’re chained up in a small pitch-black room. You can’t even see your two hands in front of you. At least five days in a week I have a dream like that…What _happened?”_

Valtari’s golden eyes looked downcast, his face looked vaguely horrified as he reminisced on those memories of his. Khova had initially thought Valtari would come up with a snarky reply to dodge his question or offer a vague explanation, but no, for once the Quori was speechless. 

Khova immediately felt guilty, “I’m sorry. I was just curious, I didn’t mean to phrase it that way.”

Valtari ran his claws through his hair. “My imprisonment is not something you need to know about.”

“I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but I also think I should be told eventually. I’ve been experiencing it with you for years now.” Khova said. “We’re one in the same.”

Valtari smiled a little, not as he smiled before. Somehow this small grin felt more meaningful than any toothy smile Khova had seen. It dissipated quickly.

“Perhaps someday.” Valtari settled, then he said something else unexpected. “Forgive me for exposing you to that. I have no little control over what memories you peer into, and I’ve spent a long time in solitary confinement.”

“I’m not upset with you, I just want to understand you better.” Khova said, “You’re basically the only person besides my father that I can talk to, and I’d much rather talk to you.”

“You flatter me, but a Quori is not a person,” Valtari explained. “Not like you.”

Khova silenced himself after that dismissive statement. He didn’t want to admit it, but Valtari _scared_ him.

Valtari’s memories were both concerning and confusing. Khova, deep down, felt a twinge of fear around this spirit who has lived within him for as long as he could remember. They were bonded, yes, but Valtari always seemed to be both secretive and individualistic. There was a lot Khova didn’t know about him, and Valtari knew almost too much about Khova.

Still, it didn’t stop him from trying to figure the Quori out. If he were to go on some fated mission with this spirit, he better have some sense of what he’s going into. 

Truthfully, he didn’t want to go on this grand adventure, despite dedicating so much of his studies to preparing for the journey. He knew nothing of what the world was really like, and that scared him more than the foreboding thought that Valtari could be leading him into something dark.

Can he rely on Valtari for protection? Can he even protect Valtari? 

Those thoughts were far too worrying. 

Instead, he brought his attention back to the blank journal he had hoped to write a story in. He picked up his pen and began to write down just a few sentences before he spoke up once more, “Valtari? Can you help me?”

Valtari hummed a response. 

“I’m trying to write a story. You’ve been around for a long time, can you give me some ideas?” Khova asked. 

“Ideas for a story? I’m a spirit, not an author.” Valtari replied, he almost sounded a bit offended. 

“I’ll read you what I have so far.” Khova shifted in his seat, holding the journal out in front of him. 

Valtari didn’t reject him and simply sat on the edge of Khova’s bed, listening. 

“Once upon a time, in the deepest depths of the ethereal ocean and among the stars, there lay a being void of hope to ever see the light again. Near centuries, trapped in the darkest of dungeons. All was lost until…” Khova read, then he came to a stop, looking up at Valtari. 

Valtari cupped his face within his hands and finished his sentence, “A mirror appeared before him, but instead of his reflection, the very beacon of light he had hoped for had come to set him free.”

Khova smiled, and jotted down Valtari’s words as quickly as he could. 

He entirely missed what Valtari had said next, just barely above a whisper, “Whether he deserved it or not.”


End file.
